▲ An altar was placed in Playas de Tijuana for those who died trying to cross into the United States.Photo Afp
Jesus Estrada
Correspondent and La Jornada Baja California
La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, November 2, 2025, p. 6
The binational Catholic mass that the dioceses of Ciudad Juárez and El Paso have celebrated for 28 years, in the bed of the Rio Grande to remember deceased migrants, was held yesterday without Mexican participation, far from the border fence next to the old historical marker of Fort Bliss, because the border was declared a national defense area by Donald Trump.
His original intention of praying for people in mobility situations who died in their attempt to cross the border, 35 victims this year in the El Paso sector, changed to raising prayers against the unjust deportations and persecution suffered by migrants within the United States.
Before the start of the religious service, the Diocese of El Paso shared a statement repudiating the militarization of the border and the actions of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE).
“For almost 30 years, the binational mass had been celebrated, right on the border limit, first on dry land then inside the Rio Grande, always with the participation of people from both sides, from Mexico and the United States; today we are in a place that is as close to the wall as we can get, without complete view or participation from the Ciudad Juárez side, the border is now a national defense zone from side to side, an extension of the Fort Bliss military base.”
Established in 1997, the binational mass brought together the Catholic communities of Ciudad Juárez, El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico, in a unified prayer for migrants who have lost their lives trying to cross into the United States.
This year, the immigration policy of Donald Trump’s government prevented the participation of Catholics from both countries, just as on May 10 it canceled the binational event “Hugs not Walls,” which would bring together 200 migrant families along the Rio Grande, organized by the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR).
Likewise, on the eve of the Day of the Dead, migrant defense organizations placed an altar on the border wall of Playas de Tijuana. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, between January and July 2025, 149 migrant deaths were recorded, while the International Organization for Migration Mexico reported 472 and 40 disappearances in 2024.
